- Nov 19, 2007
- 2,793
- 2
- 0
1: I installed 4GB of RAM but windows only sees 3-3.5GB!
A: This is an inherent limitation of a 32-bit OS. Windows can only see 4GB, and it needs "physical address space" for things like video card RAM.
The only solution is to upgrade to an x64 (64bit) operating system.
The recommended 64bit OS is Vista (or Win7 beta if you're daring) because of better support and compatibility.
Linux users can take advantage of PAE so they can use more than 4GB of RAM with a 32-bit OS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2: How do I match RAM speed to my Intel CPU FSB?
A: There are currently 3 types of RAM still in use.
DDR: Double Data Rate: The memory chips and the memory bus run at one speed.
DDR2: Double Data Rate 2: The memory chips run at one speed, the memory bus runs at twice that speed, and the bus can transfer two pieces of data at once.
DDR3: Double Data Rate 3: The difference is that now the bus can transfer 4 pieces of data at once.
The rated "speed" of RAM is how many million transfers it can perform per second.
DDR2-800 can do 800 million transfers a second at peak bandwidth usage.
Meanwhile, Intel likes to confuse you, so the FSB of a CPU is actually 4x what the actually speed is.
Let's take an E8400 Wolfdale dual-core, shall we? It has:
a multiplier of 9x
a FSB of 1333mhz
a speed of 3ghz.
Now, 1333x9 is 12ghz, which is definitely not the speed of your CPU (sorry)
To get the actually speed of the chip, divide the FSB by four.
1333mhz/4 = 333mhz.
Now, let's try again:
9x333=3.0ghz (2997mhz if you're picky)
So you need to use DDR2-667 RAM with this CPU at least. (667/2 = 333)
This is a useful chart explaining what FSB and memory work well together
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3: Is higher or lower CAS/latency better?
A: Lower is generally better (4-4-4-12 vs 5-5-5-18)
Tighter latency means that it takes a lower amount of ns (nanoseconds, the measure of speed for RAM) to transfer data. However the frequency/transfer rate (DDR2-1066 v DDR2-800) can make up for a higher latency, which is what you tend to get as RAM gets faster and faster (DDR-400 was 3-3-3-8 standard, DDR-533 was CAS 4-4-4-12 standard, DDR2-800 is 5-5-5-18 standard)
Link with graph explaining this
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4: What's a divider?
A: A divider determines the speed of your memory by multiplying it by your FSB.
There are typically several divider options. Some common ones are:
FSB : RAM
1 : 1
4 : 5
2 : 3
1 : 2
1:1 may also be labeled as 2.0 on some boards, like Gigabytes.
Now, which divider you should use is rather debatable.
On the one hand, using a looser divider lets you boost the RAM speed.
On the other hand, using a tighter divider increases performance at lower RAM speed and lets you overclock higher (because RAM speed isn't limiting you)
Typically, the BIOS should automatically detect which divider it uses, but if you overclock, you need to change the divider.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4: Is DDR3 worth it right now?
A: If you are going with Nehalem or the soon-to-be-released Phenom II AM3, you have no choice. But if you are building a AM2+ or LGA775 rig, stick with DDR2.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5: Why is DDR so expensive?
A: Most fabs/plants are now producing DDR2/3, so there is only a small supply of DDR flowing into the market. Low supply and high demand means that DDR is expensive.
The same thing may happen to DDR2 once DDR3 becomes mainstream.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6: Which brand of RAM is best?
A: Most RAM is made by a few companies and rebranded with different heatspreaders
There are a few good companies that make good, stable, easy-to-overclock RAM.
They include:
Samsung
Micron (D9 chips in particular)
Powerchips
Some memory makers that use them include:
Corsair
Crucial
ADATA Extreme/Vitesta
Geil
Mushkin
GSkill
Patriot HyperX
You should be fine with any recognizable brand.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Can I use DDR/3 in a DDR2 motherboard and vice versa?
A: No you can't because the memory fits in using a notch. Even if you force it in, the memory has a different number of pins, and thus will fry your computer on startup.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. What's dual-channel?
A: Memory runs along a 64-bit pipeline. Dual channel requires matching sizes, speeds, and latencies of RAM to be installed (2x1GB sticks, for example) in certain slots to work.
This effectively doubles the memory bandwidth to 128-bit.
You can mix memory sizes as long as each channel is matched.
If you mix RAM of different speeds, the faster RAM will underclock to match the slower RAM.
Dual-channel can provide up to a 5% boost. That's not much, but it's free and better than nothing. Keep in mind that adding a third stick of memory of a decent size will probably still give you a boost even though you are now running in single channel.
There is also flex dual-channel where different modules (say 2x1GB) are in one channel and another (1x2GB) is in the other. Support for this feature depends on the motherboard.
Finally, there is also dual channel in laptops with a 2GB and 1GB module where the first 1GB of the 2GB module is in dual-channel with the 1GB module.
Remember, dual-channel is good, but more RAM is better.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. How do I test my memory for problems?
A: First of all, if you are running multiple modules, take all but one out.
Use memtest86+. Leave it running for 24 hours. Repeat this with each module.
If each one passes, run it with all of them installed.
If there are any errors with 4 memory sticks, you should up your northbridge voltage. If that doesn't help, or there are only two modules total, your memory is bad.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. How much memory should I get?
A. With the price of DDR2 right now, you should get at least 2GB for any computer. That will game and run Vista smoothly.
If you can spend about $40, you can snag a pair of 2x2GB modules for 4GB.
If you really want to make sure, buy 8GB of RAM.
Hope this helps! :thumbsup:
Further reading:
Wikipedia on DDR
Wikipedia on DDR2
Wikipedia on DDR3
Wikipedia on Front Side Bus
graph comparing latency, timings, and frequency
Info about front side bus and its limitations
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hard Drives
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) How much space do I need?
A) Generally it is recommended to get as much space as you can fit into your budget.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) How does the hard drive work?
A) Inside the hard drive there are several platters, which are discs which contain data. There is a head (piece of metal) that moves over the platters to read the data contained on them, which is either a one or zero. Generally, less (But more dense) platters are better because that means the drive is faster and has less moving parts that could fail.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) What is an SSD?
A) It's a solid-state drive. It uses non-volatile (doesn't need power to keep data) memory similar to a flash drive. Flash memory moves electrons instead of reading platters. It has no moving parts, (shock-resistant) has near instant access times, is unaffected by defragmentation, and uses less power than a normal hard drive. However, they are extremely expensive and only have a limited number of writes before expiring.
Most SSDs also have problems with random or multiple writes (because of their JMicron data controller. Samsung/intel controllers do not suffer from this problem)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) What is RAM?
A) RAM is volatile (needs power) high speed flash memory found in slots on the motherboard. It is used to keep track of information that is being used by the OS, such as shots, models, and calculations in a game or changes made to an image in photoshop.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) What is RAID, and is it worth it?
A) RAID (Redudant Array of Inexpensive Disks) is a system where multiple hard drives keep redundant data so that data is saved in case of drive failure.
The most common:
RAID 0: Not really "RAID" because it stripes data between two disks. This way data is read off two disks at the same time, increasing performance. Generally not considered worth it because if one disk dies, the information on the other disk is lost.
RAID: 1: The simplest kind of redundant RAID. Data is mirrored between even numbers of disks. Say you have 4 disks. Data from Disk One is mirrored on Disk Three. Disk Two has a mirror on Disk 4.
UNCONFIRMED: RAID 1 may give better read performance because it can read off two disks at the same time.
It is possible to combine RAID 0 and 1.
RAID 5: Data is striped across all disks, but some disks contain redundant data that allows the array to reconstruct in case a drive fails. It needs three disks.
Unless you need redundancy, it is much better to simply have two unRAIDed hard drives and split data between them (OS on one, games on the other) as benchmarks show it to be much faster.
Bonus! RAID Recovery: There are two methods of failure of a RAID system:
Death of controller (motherboard or dedicated RAID card): This can usually be fixed by getting the same controller. In the case of motherboards, this means getting the same motherboard, or at least same chipset.
Death of hard drive: Depending on the type of RAID (software, hardware), this can be fixed by getting another hard drive, as RAID provides redundancy.
The only kind of RAID that is hard to recover is RAID0, as there is no redundancy. This means you will have to pay out the ass to get your data recovered from the hard drive or try to resurrect the drive somehow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6) What is S.M.A.R.T?
A) S.M.A.R.T. is (Self-monitoring something something something) is a way for hard drives to monitor themselves for signs of failure. This is not very effective (hard drives fail without giving SMART alerts) so if you do get one, something is likely wrong with your hard drive.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) What are RPMs?
A) RPM stands for revolutions per minute. The higher this number, the faster the drive is, although there are other factors. Desktop drives are 7200RPM or 10000RPM, while laptops have 5400-7200RPM. Servers can use 15000RPM drives. There are lower numbers than 5400, but they are very slow. Some desktop drives may switch between 5400-7200RPM to save power.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8) Help and Maintenance!
1) My hard drive is making funny noises!
A) That could be normal access noises, or a sign of a dying drive.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) How hot can my drives get?
A) You want drives staying within 20-40C. High temps such as 50C will destroy the drive while cold prevents it from moving correctly and will end with the same result.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) My drive is getting slower and slower, or is already!
A) This could be defragmentation, which is when files get fragmented across a hard drive. This means the head must spend more time looking for it. It is recommended to defrag monthly. Flash memory should not be defragged because it wears down the memory and flash memory can simply access it all instanteously.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Or it could be dying.
Remember, look at S.M.A.R.T. through a program like SpeedFan and download the drive diagnostics from your manufacturer (Western Digital, Seagate, Samsung, Hitachi, etc)
If it is dying, don't wear it out any more. Boot from another drive/CD/USB drive and copy all your data somewhere safe. Remember to regularly backup anyway. Use a program such as Acronis True Image, Norton Ghost or one of several Linux programs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9) What is cache?
A) Technically, this should go under memory, but I forgot. Cache is high-high-high speed memory that is used by a hard drive or processor to store data that is being worked on for near instantaneous recall. There is L1, L2, and L3 cache. L2 and L3 used to be located on the motherboard.
A modern Intel processor keeps L2 cache separate on the second core and shares it between the two cores. Quad-Cores have two caches because they are two dual-cores joined together.
A modern AMD or Intel Nehalem processor gives each processor an equal amount of L2 cache. Phenom and Nehalem have L3 cache which is shared by all cores.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10) Which hard drives are good right now?
A) This changes a lot, but the current favorites are the
Western Digital 640GB drives because they are single/double platter and thus faster.
Western Digital Caviar Black/RE3: The special edition of Western Digital drives.
The new Western Digital Velociroraptor is much faster than the old Raptors or other drives.
Samsung F1 drives have
Seagate has cheap 1.5TB drives (because of firmware issues, but they have been fixed)
If you want an SSD, the only ones noting are the GSKill Titan (maybe), Intel X25-m or X25-e, Corsair SSD, or the various SLC drives.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11) Are SSDs (Solid-State Disks) going to replace normal hard drives?
A) This is not likely in the near future because of the extreme cost.
However as the price goes down, we may start see small SSDs used for important things
such as the OS and games, while large, multi-TB drives are used for general storage.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12) What kind of software can I use to test my HDD speed?
A) General you would software such as HD Tach and HD Tune.
Other options include ATTO and Crystalmark.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13) How can I protect my privacy or erase my data?
A) This is a valid question. When you delete a file, it is not really erased, but the drive marks it as free space. This means that the actual data is still there. You must zero-out the drive; that is, write zeroes to every bit on the drive. There are programs that can do this such as CCleaner and Eraser, but to do an entire hard drive, the usual tool is DBAN, which is a bootable disk program. Intel has a proprietary tool available to erase SSDs, which operate differently.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Credits:
Me!
The many forum denizens who taught me this stuff.
Anandtech for being a huge time-waster in my life.
virtualrain for clearing up memory speeds/transfers and latency vs speed.
Gillbot for suggestions
edited a bit 2/7/2008 to catch up on current events.
A: This is an inherent limitation of a 32-bit OS. Windows can only see 4GB, and it needs "physical address space" for things like video card RAM.
The only solution is to upgrade to an x64 (64bit) operating system.
The recommended 64bit OS is Vista (or Win7 beta if you're daring) because of better support and compatibility.
Linux users can take advantage of PAE so they can use more than 4GB of RAM with a 32-bit OS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2: How do I match RAM speed to my Intel CPU FSB?
A: There are currently 3 types of RAM still in use.
DDR: Double Data Rate: The memory chips and the memory bus run at one speed.
DDR2: Double Data Rate 2: The memory chips run at one speed, the memory bus runs at twice that speed, and the bus can transfer two pieces of data at once.
DDR3: Double Data Rate 3: The difference is that now the bus can transfer 4 pieces of data at once.
The rated "speed" of RAM is how many million transfers it can perform per second.
DDR2-800 can do 800 million transfers a second at peak bandwidth usage.
Meanwhile, Intel likes to confuse you, so the FSB of a CPU is actually 4x what the actually speed is.
Let's take an E8400 Wolfdale dual-core, shall we? It has:
a multiplier of 9x
a FSB of 1333mhz
a speed of 3ghz.
Now, 1333x9 is 12ghz, which is definitely not the speed of your CPU (sorry)
To get the actually speed of the chip, divide the FSB by four.
1333mhz/4 = 333mhz.
Now, let's try again:
9x333=3.0ghz (2997mhz if you're picky)
So you need to use DDR2-667 RAM with this CPU at least. (667/2 = 333)
This is a useful chart explaining what FSB and memory work well together
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3: Is higher or lower CAS/latency better?
A: Lower is generally better (4-4-4-12 vs 5-5-5-18)
Tighter latency means that it takes a lower amount of ns (nanoseconds, the measure of speed for RAM) to transfer data. However the frequency/transfer rate (DDR2-1066 v DDR2-800) can make up for a higher latency, which is what you tend to get as RAM gets faster and faster (DDR-400 was 3-3-3-8 standard, DDR-533 was CAS 4-4-4-12 standard, DDR2-800 is 5-5-5-18 standard)
Link with graph explaining this
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4: What's a divider?
A: A divider determines the speed of your memory by multiplying it by your FSB.
There are typically several divider options. Some common ones are:
FSB : RAM
1 : 1
4 : 5
2 : 3
1 : 2
1:1 may also be labeled as 2.0 on some boards, like Gigabytes.
Now, which divider you should use is rather debatable.
On the one hand, using a looser divider lets you boost the RAM speed.
On the other hand, using a tighter divider increases performance at lower RAM speed and lets you overclock higher (because RAM speed isn't limiting you)
Typically, the BIOS should automatically detect which divider it uses, but if you overclock, you need to change the divider.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4: Is DDR3 worth it right now?
A: If you are going with Nehalem or the soon-to-be-released Phenom II AM3, you have no choice. But if you are building a AM2+ or LGA775 rig, stick with DDR2.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5: Why is DDR so expensive?
A: Most fabs/plants are now producing DDR2/3, so there is only a small supply of DDR flowing into the market. Low supply and high demand means that DDR is expensive.
The same thing may happen to DDR2 once DDR3 becomes mainstream.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6: Which brand of RAM is best?
A: Most RAM is made by a few companies and rebranded with different heatspreaders
There are a few good companies that make good, stable, easy-to-overclock RAM.
They include:
Samsung
Micron (D9 chips in particular)
Powerchips
Some memory makers that use them include:
Corsair
Crucial
ADATA Extreme/Vitesta
Geil
Mushkin
GSkill
Patriot HyperX
You should be fine with any recognizable brand.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Can I use DDR/3 in a DDR2 motherboard and vice versa?
A: No you can't because the memory fits in using a notch. Even if you force it in, the memory has a different number of pins, and thus will fry your computer on startup.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. What's dual-channel?
A: Memory runs along a 64-bit pipeline. Dual channel requires matching sizes, speeds, and latencies of RAM to be installed (2x1GB sticks, for example) in certain slots to work.
This effectively doubles the memory bandwidth to 128-bit.
You can mix memory sizes as long as each channel is matched.
If you mix RAM of different speeds, the faster RAM will underclock to match the slower RAM.
Dual-channel can provide up to a 5% boost. That's not much, but it's free and better than nothing. Keep in mind that adding a third stick of memory of a decent size will probably still give you a boost even though you are now running in single channel.
There is also flex dual-channel where different modules (say 2x1GB) are in one channel and another (1x2GB) is in the other. Support for this feature depends on the motherboard.
Finally, there is also dual channel in laptops with a 2GB and 1GB module where the first 1GB of the 2GB module is in dual-channel with the 1GB module.
Remember, dual-channel is good, but more RAM is better.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. How do I test my memory for problems?
A: First of all, if you are running multiple modules, take all but one out.
Use memtest86+. Leave it running for 24 hours. Repeat this with each module.
If each one passes, run it with all of them installed.
If there are any errors with 4 memory sticks, you should up your northbridge voltage. If that doesn't help, or there are only two modules total, your memory is bad.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. How much memory should I get?
A. With the price of DDR2 right now, you should get at least 2GB for any computer. That will game and run Vista smoothly.
If you can spend about $40, you can snag a pair of 2x2GB modules for 4GB.
If you really want to make sure, buy 8GB of RAM.
Hope this helps! :thumbsup:
Further reading:
Wikipedia on DDR
Wikipedia on DDR2
Wikipedia on DDR3
Wikipedia on Front Side Bus
graph comparing latency, timings, and frequency
Info about front side bus and its limitations
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hard Drives
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) How much space do I need?
A) Generally it is recommended to get as much space as you can fit into your budget.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) How does the hard drive work?
A) Inside the hard drive there are several platters, which are discs which contain data. There is a head (piece of metal) that moves over the platters to read the data contained on them, which is either a one or zero. Generally, less (But more dense) platters are better because that means the drive is faster and has less moving parts that could fail.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) What is an SSD?
A) It's a solid-state drive. It uses non-volatile (doesn't need power to keep data) memory similar to a flash drive. Flash memory moves electrons instead of reading platters. It has no moving parts, (shock-resistant) has near instant access times, is unaffected by defragmentation, and uses less power than a normal hard drive. However, they are extremely expensive and only have a limited number of writes before expiring.
Most SSDs also have problems with random or multiple writes (because of their JMicron data controller. Samsung/intel controllers do not suffer from this problem)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) What is RAM?
A) RAM is volatile (needs power) high speed flash memory found in slots on the motherboard. It is used to keep track of information that is being used by the OS, such as shots, models, and calculations in a game or changes made to an image in photoshop.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) What is RAID, and is it worth it?
A) RAID (Redudant Array of Inexpensive Disks) is a system where multiple hard drives keep redundant data so that data is saved in case of drive failure.
The most common:
RAID 0: Not really "RAID" because it stripes data between two disks. This way data is read off two disks at the same time, increasing performance. Generally not considered worth it because if one disk dies, the information on the other disk is lost.
RAID: 1: The simplest kind of redundant RAID. Data is mirrored between even numbers of disks. Say you have 4 disks. Data from Disk One is mirrored on Disk Three. Disk Two has a mirror on Disk 4.
UNCONFIRMED: RAID 1 may give better read performance because it can read off two disks at the same time.
It is possible to combine RAID 0 and 1.
RAID 5: Data is striped across all disks, but some disks contain redundant data that allows the array to reconstruct in case a drive fails. It needs three disks.
Unless you need redundancy, it is much better to simply have two unRAIDed hard drives and split data between them (OS on one, games on the other) as benchmarks show it to be much faster.
Bonus! RAID Recovery: There are two methods of failure of a RAID system:
Death of controller (motherboard or dedicated RAID card): This can usually be fixed by getting the same controller. In the case of motherboards, this means getting the same motherboard, or at least same chipset.
Death of hard drive: Depending on the type of RAID (software, hardware), this can be fixed by getting another hard drive, as RAID provides redundancy.
The only kind of RAID that is hard to recover is RAID0, as there is no redundancy. This means you will have to pay out the ass to get your data recovered from the hard drive or try to resurrect the drive somehow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6) What is S.M.A.R.T?
A) S.M.A.R.T. is (Self-monitoring something something something) is a way for hard drives to monitor themselves for signs of failure. This is not very effective (hard drives fail without giving SMART alerts) so if you do get one, something is likely wrong with your hard drive.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) What are RPMs?
A) RPM stands for revolutions per minute. The higher this number, the faster the drive is, although there are other factors. Desktop drives are 7200RPM or 10000RPM, while laptops have 5400-7200RPM. Servers can use 15000RPM drives. There are lower numbers than 5400, but they are very slow. Some desktop drives may switch between 5400-7200RPM to save power.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8) Help and Maintenance!
1) My hard drive is making funny noises!
A) That could be normal access noises, or a sign of a dying drive.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) How hot can my drives get?
A) You want drives staying within 20-40C. High temps such as 50C will destroy the drive while cold prevents it from moving correctly and will end with the same result.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) My drive is getting slower and slower, or is already!
A) This could be defragmentation, which is when files get fragmented across a hard drive. This means the head must spend more time looking for it. It is recommended to defrag monthly. Flash memory should not be defragged because it wears down the memory and flash memory can simply access it all instanteously.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Or it could be dying.
Remember, look at S.M.A.R.T. through a program like SpeedFan and download the drive diagnostics from your manufacturer (Western Digital, Seagate, Samsung, Hitachi, etc)
If it is dying, don't wear it out any more. Boot from another drive/CD/USB drive and copy all your data somewhere safe. Remember to regularly backup anyway. Use a program such as Acronis True Image, Norton Ghost or one of several Linux programs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9) What is cache?
A) Technically, this should go under memory, but I forgot. Cache is high-high-high speed memory that is used by a hard drive or processor to store data that is being worked on for near instantaneous recall. There is L1, L2, and L3 cache. L2 and L3 used to be located on the motherboard.
A modern Intel processor keeps L2 cache separate on the second core and shares it between the two cores. Quad-Cores have two caches because they are two dual-cores joined together.
A modern AMD or Intel Nehalem processor gives each processor an equal amount of L2 cache. Phenom and Nehalem have L3 cache which is shared by all cores.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10) Which hard drives are good right now?
A) This changes a lot, but the current favorites are the
Western Digital 640GB drives because they are single/double platter and thus faster.
Western Digital Caviar Black/RE3: The special edition of Western Digital drives.
The new Western Digital Velociroraptor is much faster than the old Raptors or other drives.
Samsung F1 drives have
Seagate has cheap 1.5TB drives (because of firmware issues, but they have been fixed)
If you want an SSD, the only ones noting are the GSKill Titan (maybe), Intel X25-m or X25-e, Corsair SSD, or the various SLC drives.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11) Are SSDs (Solid-State Disks) going to replace normal hard drives?
A) This is not likely in the near future because of the extreme cost.
However as the price goes down, we may start see small SSDs used for important things
such as the OS and games, while large, multi-TB drives are used for general storage.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12) What kind of software can I use to test my HDD speed?
A) General you would software such as HD Tach and HD Tune.
Other options include ATTO and Crystalmark.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13) How can I protect my privacy or erase my data?
A) This is a valid question. When you delete a file, it is not really erased, but the drive marks it as free space. This means that the actual data is still there. You must zero-out the drive; that is, write zeroes to every bit on the drive. There are programs that can do this such as CCleaner and Eraser, but to do an entire hard drive, the usual tool is DBAN, which is a bootable disk program. Intel has a proprietary tool available to erase SSDs, which operate differently.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Credits:
Me!
The many forum denizens who taught me this stuff.
Anandtech for being a huge time-waster in my life.
virtualrain for clearing up memory speeds/transfers and latency vs speed.
Gillbot for suggestions
edited a bit 2/7/2008 to catch up on current events.
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